Comments on: Senate hearing on the shuttle program

By: Kevin Parkin

Kevin Parkin — Fri, 10 Sep 2004 00:41:46 +0000

“The government insures itself.”

And so it should. What’s the point in insuring something you can afford to replace?

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 09 Sep 2004 23:39:42 +0000

“Does insurance pay for any of the damage? I understand the shuttles not being covered but the buildings?”

The government insures itself.

By: John Malkin

John Malkin — Thu, 09 Sep 2004 20:52:44 +0000

“Strike while the iron is hot (or) you will have to take this out of your budget,” Nelson warned.

This is the kind of pressure that causes bad budget projections and shuttle disasters.

By: John Malkin

John Malkin — Thu, 09 Sep 2004 20:41:32 +0000

Does insurance pay for any of the damage? I understand the shuttles not being covered but the buildings?

By: Harold LaValley

Harold LaValley — Thu, 09 Sep 2004 20:31:17 +0000

O’Keefe to Congress: NASA needs full budget
President Bush’s space exploration plan is in jeopardy if Congress refuses to approve NASA’s request for $16.2 billion, the space agency’s top official said Wednesday.

http://www.floridatoday.com/news/space/stories/2004b/spacestoryN0909CONGRESS.htm

I wonder if this is where the 2.2 billion was thought of that the AP heard.

Noting that Congress already has passed legislation to provide $2 billion in hurricane relief and is likely to approve another $2.5 billion, Nelson said NASA had better get its request in.

“Strike while the iron is hot (or) you will have to take this out of your budget,” Nelson warned.

By: Harold LaValley

Harold LaValley — Thu, 09 Sep 2004 18:49:53 +0000

dogsbd:
The cost rise was not discused at length but only to indicate that the dollars are more real, than there original estimates because all shuttles are being overhauled causing a front loading of additional costs. Plus this includes other enhancements not part of the caib recommendations.

I know of the return to flight requiring a shake down flight to the Iss for the purpose of patch repair experiment and yes some supply cargo but this is the first that I have heard of a second such mission.

The discusion of missions was more of a pointed questions for focus of Nasa dollars to priorization and not to actual mission names of importance.

The web cast link on the sub committee’s page, I wish had a replay feature, it would make answering all questions much easier.

By: Dogsbd

Dogsbd — Thu, 09 Sep 2004 18:46:10 +0000

I’ve emailed the Commerce Committee asking for a transcript of the Q/A. We’ll see if that works

By: John Malkin

John Malkin — Thu, 09 Sep 2004 18:10:01 +0000

Will the Science subcommittee publish a transcript of the Q & A?

What projects and programs did the subcommittee see as requirements? Does this include pure science projects?

Did O’Keefe offer any suggestions on commercial vendors?

By: Dogsbd

Dogsbd — Thu, 09 Sep 2004 17:01:43 +0000

I’ve not heard of any “pure test flights” IE a flight with no purpose but to test the shuttle.

If a shuttle goes to ISS I will bet it’s going there to deliver a new module, supplies etc.

By: mike shupp

mike shupp — Thu, 09 Sep 2004 16:39:32 +0000

There are supposed to be two test flights of Shuttle to the Station. At $500 million each, this probably is the missing billion bucks.
–mikes shupp